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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Bunnies, Banners, and Baskets

Are you someone who likes to add a little creativity to each and every holiday occasion? I love to make little projects for gifting and decorating—and Easter is no exception! This year, I’ve created a sweet banner and a couple of different baskets for gifts and egg hunting.
Make the base pieces of the banner by cutting Kraft 12" x 12" Cardstock (item 133674) and Birthday Bouquet Designer Series Paper (item 140557) to 4" x 6", then cut the bottom of each piece into a banner shape. Next, trim the upper layer. (I took about 3/8" or 1 cm off each side.) Create the bunny silhouette using the Circles Collection Framelits Dies (item 130911) and the small leaf shape from the Flower Fair Framelits Dies (item 133731).
Start by lining up the larger circle where you’d like the bunny body to be and use the Big Shot (item 113439) to cut. Next, put the smaller circle in place for the head and cut. Lastly, line up and cut one ear at a time. You can make the ears stand up straight . . .
. . . or get a little fancy by half cutting and moving your leaf Framelit to create a floppy ear.
Add a sweet Honeycomb Embellishment (140566) for the tail or make a wee pom pom using Whisper White Baker’s Twine (item 124262) and adhere.
Once you’ve finished the bunny banner pieces, use the Flower Patch Stamp Set (134207) and coordinating Framelits to stamp, cut, and create an arrangement of blooms and leaves.
To complete the banner, punch holes in each of the banner pieces and thread with your favorite ribbon. I used both the Pool Party 1/4" Cotton Ribbon (item 134568) and Bermuda Bay 1/8" Stitched Ribbon (item 140569).
Of course, you’ll also need some baskets for Easter so I used the Berry Basket Bigz L Die (item 137366). Shine On Specialty Designer Series Paper (item 140579) is perfect for baskets because it’s heavyweight cardstock and you can choose between bright patterns or silver foil prints. I cut another basket out of the Birthday Bouquet Designer Series Paper and used it as a lining for my basket (to match my banner).
Once assembled, I added some ribbon and flowers for embellishments.
If you’re still saving up for your Big Shot and Berry Basket Bigz L Die, you can make use of the many other packaging options Stampin’ Up! offers. I used a Takeout Box (item 135827)as a gift box, but you could definitely use it for egg hunting, too. I love that the Takeout Boxes are made from kraft-colored cardstock! Kraft matches my theme perfectly and the boxes are also food safe.
I used a stamp from the Flower Patch Stamp Set with the VersaMark Pad (item 102283) to stamp a subtle design on the outside of my box. I then trimmed an inch from each flap as I wanted my gift box to be open. Once I assembled the box, I tied some ribbon around it to keep the flaps open and then used the cut outs from my bunny banner to put together a bunny-shaped tag. I stamped “Happy Easter” on the bunny using a sentiment from the Circle of Spring Photopolymer Stamp Set (item 138964). I added a little Honeycomb Embellishment tail, this time in Blushing Bride, and tied the bunny to the box using ribbons.
I hope this post gives you some ideas for decorative projects to make this Easter. Or—you can even change up the colors and re-use the same projects for a sweet, bunny-themed baby shower or birthday party.
Jessica WilliamsArtisan Design Team 2015–2016